Seek sponsors to help pay for riverfront needs

Published: Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012 1:15 a.m. CST

By Gregory Smith Dixon

Dixon’s Riverfront Commission has done a wonderful job creating a pleasant place to visit along the Rock River. What was an eyesore is now a place where citizens and visitors can have lunch on a nice afternoon. But there are better ways to raise funds to support the park.

If the commission needs money, why not seek sponsors? A tasteful board listing the sponsors who donate a certain amount of money would tell visitors whom they should thank for supporting such a nice park.

Sponsors don’t have to be businesses. Individuals will want to give, too. Don’t overlook donations from outside of Dixon and Lee County. With a connection to Ronald Reagan, people who remember the city’s favorite son may want to help out. How about putting up a box for donations so visitors can throw in a few bucks to support the riverfront?

Everyone thinks the city will eventually get a lot of money from the sale of Rita Crundwell’s property. Anyone who knows the business of horse breeding will tell you that it is an expensive hobby – one only those with a lot of spare money to splurge can afford to enjoy, and certainly not a moneymaking enterprise. The cash simply isn’t there.

Hopefully, the city will get something.

The Riverfront Commission should get a standing ovation for the work it has done. With a little more effort, money to help support the maintenance of the riverfront can be found. Good luck.